Component for use in a shoe

ABSTRACT

A component for supporting a wearer&#39;s foot. The heel support includes a flexible central plate joined at its periphery to one or more tubular portions. The heel support provides cushioning without the need for an air-tight enclosure in the rear sole of a shoe.

The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No.10/924,228, filed Aug. 23, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,124; whichclaims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/497,228, filed Aug.22, 2003; all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cushion for placement in a shoe solefor cushioning and supporting a foot. More particularly, the inventionrelates to a plate support that has tubular portions disposed around acentral portion for supporting a region of a foot.

2. Description of the Prior Art

FIG. 1 shows a sole employing a cushion 10 such as disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 6,253,466, the disclosure of which in incorporated by referenceherein. Cushion 10 is part of the midsole, but is partially exposed onits lower side and may contact the ground, thus serving also as anoutsole.

The cushion has an outer tubular portion 24 that includes a medialtubular portion 18 and a lateral tubular portion 20, which are formed byresilient load-bearing tubular walls 19. Tubular portions 18 and 20extend along medial and lateral edges of the foot shape of the sole.Tubular portions 18 and 20 extend generally along the medial and lateraledges of the heel shape part of the foot shape, in the heel region ofthe sole, opposite from each other with respect to the central portion26. Tubular portions 18 and 20 also extend along the rear edge 22 of theheel shape, together forming the single, substantially continuous, outertubular-portion 24. The resulting tubular portion 24 extends in aU-shape substantially continuously along the contour of the heel shape.Walls 19 forming the outer portion 24 are configured and dimensionedsuch that together with the main sole, walls 19 support edges of a footand cushion impact produced thereon, for example, by walking, running,or jumping, without collapsing.

A hollow central portion 26 is disposed between and joined with themedial and lateral portions 18 and 20. Central portion 26 is formed by aresilient load-bearing central wall 28, which, as shown in FIG. 2,includes upper and lower wall portions. Central wall 28 is joined to thetubular walls 19 along a portion of its boundary 21, along the entireextent at which central portion 26 lies adjacent tubular portion 24,including on the medial, lateral, and rear sides of central portion 26.Bend sections 23 of the tubular portions 18 and 20 are bent alongboundary 21 and have ends facing each other, which are connected. Asseen in FIG. 1, bend sections 23 follow the shape of the boundary 21.Central wall 28 is configured and dimensioned for supporting andcushioning a central portion of the foot, in this case of the heelregion of the foot, together with the main sole portion, withoutcollapsing.

Cushion 10 also has recessed portions 30 that extend between the centraland tubular portions 26 and 24. Recessed portions 30 join the centraland tubular portions 26 and 24 while isolating vertical deformationbetween the sections of tubular walls 19 and central wall 28 that lieadjacent recessed portions 30.

As seen in FIG. 2, tubular walls 19 have vertically spaced elevatedsections 32, and central wall has vertically spaced elevated sections34. Because elevated portions 32 of tubular walls 19 are isolated fromelevated portions 34 of central wall 28, substantially no verticalcompression is transmitted therebetween across recessed portions 30.

Referring again to FIG. 1, cushion 10 also includes a coupling portion36 with at least one wall elevated from the level of recessed portions30, separating recessed portions 30 of cushion 10. Coupling wall 36connects central elevated sections 34 to tubular elevated sections 32.This connection couples the adjacent elevated sections 32 and 34 suchthat vertical deformation is transmitted between tubular walls 19 andcentral wall 28.

Coupling portion 36 permits energy to be stored, absorbed, and returnedto the foot by both central walls 28 and tubular walls 18 and 20 whencushion 10 is impacted in locations on either the central or tubularportions 26, 18, or 20 that are near coupling portion 36. Couplingportion 36 is disposed at the rear of the heel, generally aligned with aheel strike area 52.

It is well known in the art that during a step, particularly while awearer is running, the wearer's foot strikes the sole generally along astrike path 66, shown in FIG. 1. The strike path 66 along the soleextends from the heel to the fore foot portion of the sole. This path 66receives first and largest loads from impact on the sole.

The cushion is shown in FIG. 1 is disposed in the sole such that theheel strike area is disposed in the region defined behind lines 54 and56. If cushion 10 is sized for a men's size 9.5 shoe, lines 54 and 56intersect centerline 38 of cushion 10 at about 23 to 31 mm from the rearof cushion 10. Line 54 extends laterally at an angle 58 of about 25degrees forward from a horizontal line 60 normal to the centerline 38.Line 56 extends medially at an angle 62 of about 5 degrees behind line60. Thus, the coupling portion 36, being disposed generally centrallywith respect to the heel strike area 52, is displaced laterally from thecenterline 38.

Because central and tubular portions 26 and 24 are hollow, centralportion 26 defines a central interior chamber 40, and tubular portion 24defines a tubular interior chamber 42. Central interior chamber 40extends substantially across the middle of the cushion. Central andtubular chambers 40 and 42 are communicated through the interior ofcoupling portion 36. Tubular and central walls 19 and 28 are coupled fortransmitting vertical deformation therebetween where coupling portion 36communicates interior chambers 40 and 42.

Central and tubular walls 28 and 19 also have stiffening ribs 44 thatextend widthwise across central and tubular portions 26 and 24. As walls19 and 28 of cushion 10 are of substantially uniform thickness, ribs 44form grooves 46 on an opposite side of walls 19 and 28 therefrom. Ribs44 increase the bending stiffness of walls 19 and 28.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom central wall 28 preferably includes anindented portion 64 that has substantially the same depth as ribs 44.Indented portion 64 may display decorative or trade insignia.

The cross-sectional shape of cushion 10 taken along plane II-II of FIG.1, which extends widthwise and vertically through cushion 10, is bestshown in FIG. 2. Both central and tubular walls 28 and 19 have anarcuate shape. Central wall 28 defines an oval cross-section.

The cross-sections of tubular walls 19 are generally circular whencompared to the cross-section of central wall 28. Due to these shapes,cushion 10 stores and returns energy to a wearer. The relatively wideand horizontal elevated portions 34 of central walls 28 renders thecentral portion less stiff than tubular portion 24. At the widest partof the cushion 10, which is shaped for a heel, central portion 26reaches a maximum width 74 that is greater than about 50% of the maximumwidth 84 of cushion 10 from the medial edge of the medial tubularportion 18 to the lateral edge of the lateral tubular portion 20. One ofthe medial and lateral tubular portions 18 and 20 is at least about 15%as wide as central portion 26 where cushion 10 is widest. Central andtubular portions 26 and 24 have substantially the same vertical height72.

While the cushion described above exhibits satisfactory shock absorbingcharacteristics, there exists a need for an improved cushion thatprovides comparable to superior shock absorbing qualities at a reducedweight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention a plate support foruse in a shoe is provided. The plate support includes first and secondtubular portions having resilient load-bearing first and second hollowtubular walls, respectively. One of the walls has a shape for extendinggenerally along a lateral side of a wearer's foot and the other of thewalls has a shape for extending generally along a medial side of thewearer's foot. The tubular walls have a thickness, material, and shapeproviding sufficient strength for supporting and cushioning the lateraland medial sides of the wearer's foot. The tubular walls have anexterior surface with an outwardly oriented portion and an inwardlyoriented portion, the inwardly oriented portion of the first and secondtubular walls being oriented toward one another. The plate supportfurther includes a central portion having a resilient load-bearingcentral surface disposed between and joined with the first and secondtubular portions. The central portion has a strength for supporting andcushioning a width-wise central part of the foot. The central portiondoes not form a portion of an air-tight enclosure.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outwardlyoriented portion of at least one of the first and second tubular wallsincludes at least one hole therethrough.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inwardlyoriented portion of at least one of the first and second tubular wallsincludes at least one hole therethrough.

The present invention provides for one or more of the followingadvantages. The over-all weight of the shoe is reduced as a result of areduction in the amount of material used to make the plate support. Thecushioning properties are enhanced without the need for trapped air. Thecosts of manufacturing are reduced in part due to the reduction ofmaterials required to construct the plate support as well as thesubstantial reduction or elimination of any need for the incorporationof air-tight enclosures containing trapped air or other shock-absorbingsubstances in the rear sole of the shoe. These and other advantages ofthe present invention will be apparent from review of the followingspecification and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a cushion of the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional front view of the cushion of FIG. 1 alongplane II-II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a plate support in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the plate support of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5A is a top plan view of the plate support of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5B is a front elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5C is a rear elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5D is a side elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6A is a bottom view of the plate support of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6B is a front elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 3 rotated180 degrees about its axis.

FIG. 6C is a rear elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 3 rotated180 degrees about its axis.

FIG. 6D is a side elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 3 rotated180 degrees about its axis.

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a plate support in accordance withanother preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the plate support of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9A is a top plan view of a plate support in accordance with afurther preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9B is a front elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C is a rear elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9D is a side elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 10A is a bottom plan view of the plate support of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 10B is a front elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 9Arotated 180 degrees about its axis.

FIG. 10C is a rear elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 9Arotated 180 degrees about its axis.

FIG. 10D is a side elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 9Arotated 180 degrees about its axis.

FIG. 11A is a top plan view of a plate support in accordance with anadditional preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11B is a front elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11C is a rear elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11D is a side elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12A is a bottom plan view of the plate support of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12B is a front elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 11Arotated 180 degrees about its axis.

FIG. 12C is a rear elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 11Arotated 180 degrees about is axis.

FIG. 12D is a side elevation view of the plate support of FIG. 11Arotated 180 degrees about its axis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled inthe art from consideration of the specification and practice of theinvention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification andexamples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spiritof the invention being indicated by the following claims. Whereverpossible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout thedrawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIGS. 3 to 6D show a preferred embodiment of a plate support 100 inaccordance with the present invention. Plate support 100 includes afront 102, a rear 104, a first tubular portion 118, a second tubularportion 120, and a central portion 126 having a central wall 128 betweenfirst and second tubular portions 118, 120. Central portion 126 ispreferably a flexible plate that is capable of deflecting verticallyrelative to first and second tubular portions 118, 120. Examples offlexible plates suitable for footwear are taught by Meschan in U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,615,497; 5,560,126; 5,918,384; and 5,806,210, the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

Central portion 126 has an upper surface that is preferably convex and alower surface 106 that is preferably concave. In a preferred embodiment,central portion 126 resembles a clamshell and functions similar to atrampoline to provide shock absorbing qualities to the shoe. The frontof central portion 126 includes a wall 108 that provides additionalstability to central portion 126. It will be appreciated that centralportion 126 may still provide sufficient shock absorbing qualitieswithout the presence of wall 108. Additionally, it will be appreciatedthat central plate wall 128 may be flat or contain an indentation orcentral concave portion, such as shown in FIG. 18 of U.S. Pat. No.5,918,384, to guide a wearer's heel during downward movement of centralportion 126.

The top of plate support 100 preferably includes a plurality ofstiffening ribs 144 arranged generally parallel to one another andextending from side to side along the width of the support plate.Preferably ribs 144 extend across the entire width of central portion126 and around substantially the entire exterior surface of each tubularportion.

First and second tubular portions 118, 120 each include acircumferential wall 124 and have an outwardly oriented portion 110 andan inwardly oriented portion 112. As shown in FIG. 2, the inwardlyoriented portions of first and second tubular portions 118, 120 arepreferably oriented toward one another. First and second tubularportions 118, 120 are preferably hollow. It will be appreciated that thecross section of outer tubular portions 118, 120 may take a variety ofshapes without deviating from the scope of the present invention. Forexample, first and second outer tubular portions may be circular oroval-shaped.

Outwardly oriented portion 110 of each tubular portion includes at leastone opening 150 therethrough leading to the hollow interior of eachtubular portion. Preferably, openings 150 are positioned to intersectwith ribs 144 to produce maximum cushioning. The cushioning may beadjusted by positioning one or more of openings 150 to be off-set fromthe ribs.

Openings 150 may be circular, elliptical, or any shape that is suitablefor the intended purpose. For example, as shown in FIG. 5C, opening 153in rear end 102 is generally elliptical to correspond to the reducedheight at rear end 102 of plate support 100. Additionally,through-openings may be included in central portion 126, similar tothose shown in FIG. 28 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,126. The size of theopenings may be uniform or may vary depending upon the location of theopenings. Including a plurality of openings provides the advantages ofreducing overall weight, enhancing springiness, and reducing materialcosts.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, another preferred embodiment of the plate support ofthe present invention is shown and generally referred to by thereference number 200. Plate support 200 is similar to plate support 100,but the region of intersection between central portion 226 and first andsecond tubular portions 218, 220 is more elevated relative to amid-horizontal plane of plate support 200. Preferably, the region ofintersection between central portion 226 and first and second portions218, 220 is in the upper one-third of the maximum height of the outertubular portions.

As shown in FIG. 8, the elevated height of central portion 226 allowsfor the provision of one or more openings 251 in inwardly orientedportions 212 of first and second tubular portions 218, 220 that lead tohollow interior 242. Openings 251 may be oriented such that they alignwith openings 250 of outwardly oriented portions 210. Alternatively,openings 251 may be off-set from openings 250. As will be appreciated,the shape, number, and placement of the openings may be varied whilestill being within the scope of the present invention. Further, insteadof a hollow interior connecting a plurality of openings, first andsecond tubular portions may include a plurality of channels between theoutwardly oriented portion and inwardly oriented portion, each channelconnecting one of openings 250 and 251.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, ribs 244 are preferably arranged to intersectbelow the approximate center of the calcaneus of the wearer to provideincreased stability and/or springiness where it is most needed. It willbe appreciated that the ribs may intersect at other locations as well.Further, the angle of intersection between the intersecting ribs mayvaried without departing from the scope of the present invention. Anetwork of intersecting ribs may be provided, or a pattern ofintersecting ribs interspaced with non-intersecting ribs. The ribsthemselves can vary in thickness and cross-sectional shape. For example,the cross-sectional shape of the ribs may include an arcuate shape ortriangular shape. The rib thickness may vary across the width and/orfrom rib to rib along the length of the plate support.

In FIGS. 9A to 10D, another preferred embodiment of the plate support ofthe present invention is shown and generally referred to by thereference number 300. Plate support 300 is similar to plate support 200,but ribs 344 are generally parallel to one another.

In FIGS. 11A to 12D, another preferred embodiment of the plate supportof the present invention is shown and generally referred to by thereference number 400. Plate support 400 is similar to plate support 100,but at least two ribs 444 intersect one another in a manner such asdescribed above in relation to plate support 200. Further, openings 450are stylized with an “N” shape. It will be appreciated that the openingsmay have other shapes corresponding to a different logo if so desired.

The plate support of the present invention may be made from aconventional Pebax polymer, including the hardest Pebax materialavailable from ATOFINA. The thickness of the plate support is preferablysufficiently thin so as to be light-weight while still retaining itsspringiness. It will be appreciated that the plate support may includemore than one material. For example, the central portion may includePebax while the outer tubular portions may include a rubber material.Pebax is advantageous for its characteristics of resiliency anddurability. A plate support made from a Pebax material may be madethinner, and thus weigh less than conventional support cushions madefrom materials such as Hytrel.

The plate support of the present invention may be integrally formed, ormay be modular and glued or otherwise attached together. Two examples ofintegrally forming the plate support include injection-molding andblow-molding. The plate support may also be formed integrally with anarch bridge (not shown) for further stability. The plate support may beconfigured to be removable and replaceable so that the wearcharacteristics of the wearer may be better fulfilled. The plate supportmay include vertically extending walls around its periphery or aroundthe periphery of the central portion to provide lateral stability to theheel of a wearer.

It is preferred that the central portion not form a part of an air-tightenclosure. This permits the central plate to flex more easily utilizingthe natural springiness of the plate material and rib configuration (ifany), and substantially reduces the need for trapped air or other shockabsorbing substances in the rear sole of the shoe. However, it will beappreciated that the outer tubular portions may be configured withoutopenings to form an air-tight enclosure containing trapped air, gel, oranother conventional shock absorbing substance instead of having ahollow interior in air communication with the exterior of the shoe.

There is disclosed in the above description and the drawings platesupports which fully and effectively accomplish the objectives of thisinvention. However, it will be apparent that variations andmodifications of the disclosed embodiments may be made without departingfrom the principles of the invention.

1. A component for use in a shoe, the component comprising: first andsecond tubular portions having resilient load-bearing first and secondhollow tubular walls, respectively, one of the walls having a shape forextending generally along a lateral side of a wearer's foot and theother having a shape for extending generally along a medial side of thewearer's foot, the tubular walls having a thickness, material, and shapeproviding sufficient strength for supporting and cushioning the lateraland medial sides of the wearer's foot, the tubular walls having anexterior surface with an outwardly oriented portion and an inwardlyoriented portion, the inwardly oriented portion of the first and secondtubular walls being oriented toward one another; and a central portionhaving a resilient load-bearing central surface disposed between andjoined with the first and second tubular portions, the central portionhaving a strength for supporting and cushioning a width-wise centralpart of the foot, the central portion not forming a portion of anair-tight enclosure, the central portion having an upper surface and alower surface, the lower surface of the central portion having aplurality of ribs.
 2. The component of claim 1, wherein at least two ofthe ribs intersect one another.
 3. The component of claim 1, wherein thecomponent is made from plastic.
 4. The component of claim 1, wherein theoutwardly oriented portion of at least one of the first and secondtubular walls includes at least one hole therethrough.
 5. The componentof claim 4, wherein the inwardly oriented portion of at least one of thefirst and second tubular walls includes at least one hole therethrough,the holes of the outwardly oriented portion and the inwardly orientedportion being in communication with one another.
 6. The component ofclaim 1, wherein the inwardly oriented portion of at least one of thefirst and second tubular walls includes at least one hole therethrough.7. The component of claim 1, wherein the first and second tubularportions and the central portion are integrally formed.
 8. A componentfor use in a shoe, the component comprising: first and second tubularportions having resilient load-bearing first and second hollow tubularwalls, respectively, one of the walls having a shape for extendinggenerally along a lateral side of a wearer's foot and the other having ashape for extending generally along a medial side of the wearer's foot,the tubular walls having a thickness, material, and shape providingsufficient strength for supporting and cushioning the lateral and medialsides of the wearer's foot, the tubular walls having an exterior surfacewith an outwardly oriented portion and an inwardly oriented portion, theinwardly oriented portion of the first and second tubular walls beingoriented toward one another, the outwardly oriented portion of at leastone of the first and second tubular walls including at least one holetherethrough; and a central portion having a resilient load-bearingcentral surface disposed between and joined with the first and secondtubular portions, the central portion having a strength for supportingand cushioning a width-wise central part of the foot, the centralportion having a lower surface between the first and second tubularportions, the lower surface having a plurality of ribs.
 9. The componentof claim 8, wherein at least two of the ribs intersect one another. 10.The component of claim 8, wherein the component is made from plastic.11. The component of claim 8, wherein the inwardly oriented portion ofat least one of the first and second tubular walls includes at least onehole therethrough.
 12. The component of claim 11, wherein the holes ofthe outwardly oriented portion and the inwardly oriented portion are incommunication with one another.
 13. The component of claim 8, whereinthe first and second tubular portions and the central portion areintegrally formed.
 14. A component for use in a shoe, the componentcomprising: first and second tubular portions having resilientload-bearing first and second hollow tubular walls, respectively, one ofthe walls having a shape for extending generally along a lateral side ofa wearer's foot and the other having a shape for extending generallyalong a medial side of the wearer's foot, the tubular walls having athickness, material, and shape providing sufficient strength forsupporting and cushioning the lateral and medial sides of the wearer'sfoot, the tubular walls having an exterior surface with an outwardlyoriented portion and an inwardly oriented portion, the inwardly orientedportion of the first and second tubular walls being oriented toward oneanother, the inwardly oriented portion of at least one of the first andsecond tubular walls including at least one hole therethrough; and acentral portion having a resilient load-bearing central surface disposedbetween and joined with the first and second tubular portions, thecentral portion having a strength for supporting and cushioning awidth-wise central part of the foot, the central portion having a lowersurface between the first and second tubular portions, the lower surfacehaving a plurality of ribs.
 15. The component of claim 14, wherein atleast two of the ribs intersect one another.
 16. The component of claim14, wherein the component is made from plastic.
 17. The component ofclaim 14, wherein the first and second tubular portions and the centralportion are integrally formed.
 18. The component of claim 14, whereinthe central portion includes at least one hole therethrough.
 19. Thecomponent of claim 14, wherein the first and second tubular portionshave a top, a bottom, and a maximum height therebetween, the centralportion being connected to the first and second portions at a positioncloser to the top of the first and second tubular portions than thebottom of the first and second tubular portions.
 20. The component ofclaim 14, wherein the lower surface of the central portion issubstantially concave.
 21. The component of claim 1, wherein thecomponent is a midsole component.
 22. The component of claim 21, whereinthe midsole component is for use in a heel region of the shoe.
 23. Thecomponent of claim 8, wherein the component is a midsole component. 24.The component of claim 23, wherein the midsole component is for use in aheel region of the shoe.
 25. The component of claim 14, wherein thecomponent is a midsole component.
 26. The component of claim 25, whereinthe midsole component is for use in a heel region of the shoe.